One minister wants you to be able to keep iconic Aussie animals as pets

It's everyone's dream to have a pet quokka, and if Threatened Species Commissioner Gregory Andrews had his way it might be a reality.

Andrews told The Australianhe plans on lobbying state and territory governments to relax the laws around keeping native animals as pets.

He wants families to opt for animals that "define who we are as a nation" over the one who can wreak havoc on native wildlife populations – like cats.

"I can't think of anything more patriotic than choosing to own an Australian animal," Andrews said.

"People can pay $2500 to $10,000 for a designer poodle.

"Why not ... pay even 10 percent of that to own a critically endangered orange-bellied parrot to help conserve that species?"

[Photo of an orange-bellied parrot via Getty Images]

Andrew's comments, which were published at the start of the month, have drawn mixed responses.

Nicola Beynon, of the Australian branch of the Human Society International, slammed this idea.

"Native animals belong in the wild; they do not belong in back yards, hutches and cages," she said.

"Remembering wildlife trade is one of the biggest global threats to wildlife conservation, it would be very unwise to commercialise our native wildlife and allow them to be traded."

[Photo via Getty Images]

But there are those who would argue the plan wouldn't entail people keeping a wombat in the lounge room of their high-rise apartment.

Keeping the critters would clearly be better suited to people on acerage, more along the lines of a home among the gum trees than an urban mammal hoarding house.

In the same article, written by Amos Aikman and Paige Taylor, Australian Reptile Park co-owner Tim Faulkner told The Australian some species would make "excellent pets".

"If someone would switch a cat for an endangered species such as an eastern quoll, well mate, our world be a much better place," he said.

In most parts of the country, keeping native animals as pests depends on the species, with a fairly large number of birds and reptiles being A-okay to have in your home as long as you have the right permit.

Budgies, for example, are a native species you can have as a pet without having to go through a registration process.

But the laws change from state to state, and most of them are very strict on mammals.

"If the [National Parks and Wildlife Service] gave permission for these native species to be held as pets, we are concerned that there would be illegal trapping from local populations to support a growing local pet trade and interstate export," it says.

As much as we’d love to have pet quokka or a wombo to call our own, it makes you wonder what is best for the animals and their survival rate in the long run.